Cosmos Quest (Naruto/Lupin III)

[EvaUnit01]

[X] Hey, a nice seat in the shade with a pretty lady who can probably tell you how everyone here can hide their chakra from you. Don't mind if you do!

Back from a 3-week trip across the western half of the United States.

Badlands = badass.

Seattle = awesome.

Portland = awesome.

Nevada + Utah = OH GOD OH GOD CAN WE PLEASE GET THIS BORING LANDSCAPE OVER WITH.

 

[Guile]

[X] Stick with the quiet guy
I want to explore that reaction from the last update. Re: happiness.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] The bare necessities of life will come to you.

Momiji tenses up slightly as you pass him on your way over to the table.

"Mind if I have a seat, Sukaha-san?"

She shrugs, not even looking at you. "Help yourself."

You hear the boy behind you let out a sigh of relief. You sit, grinning in thanks at your tablemate.

"Begin!" she barks suddenly.

The volume gets cranked so fast you almost jump out of your chair in fright. And- wait, no, what the hell? How did he get over to her without you seeing him move?! You were looking right at him! That wasn't a shunshin, shunshin don't sound like that! He- the sound didn't move when he did, it was like a record skipping!

Okay, calm down, calm down, it's over, we can analyze it later, they're just having a normal taijutsu match now.

Both combatants being oblivious to your jangled nerves, Meiryoku kicks Mirioni skyward and it happens again; now he's back on the ground. And not in an impact way, in a cheaply-made-movie-jumpcut way; he didn't even land, as far as you can tell.

Completely insane parlour tricks aside, Mirioni shows about the level of proficiency you'd expect from an Academy student - not for the first time, you wonder exactly how much difference having shinobi ancestors makes in how early someone can take on physically-demanding tasks. Meiryoku is almost certainly as skilled as an average active-duty chuunin her age; she isn't even winded, casually sidestepping Mirioni's clumsy charges and gracefully ducking around his wild haymakers, calmly giving verbal corrections to each of her student's faults in footwork even as the pace of the fight quickens.

Of course, you can't be entirely sure of anything until you figure out what to look for. Is this what fight analysis is like for non-sensors? How do they not go nuts?

[X] Ask Sukaha for a basic rundown on Turtle-style taijutsu.
[X] Keep observing.
-> [X] Employ elemental meditation and focus on the Wind chakra around Mirioni in case he teleports again.
-> [X] From the look of things Mirioni's a one-trick pony; try to listen to the Wind chakra around Meiryoku to see if it can tell you anything about why you can't hear any of these martial artist people.
[X] Write-in

 

[Redon]

[X] Keep observing.
-> [X] Employ elemental meditation and focus on the Wind chakra around Mirioni in case he teleports again.

 

[Disminded]

[X] Keep observing.
-> [X] Employ elemental meditation and focus on the Wind chakra around Mirioni in case he teleports again.

 

[FurikoMaru]

By the way, you can write in what you want to say to Sukaha if you pick that option. You don't have to rely on how I think things'd go.

 

[Scia]

[X] Keep observing.
-> [X] From the look of things Mirioni's a one-trick pony; try to listen to the Wind chakra around Meiryoku to see if it can tell you anything about why you can't hear any of these martial artist people.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] Hot breeze, old cheese, slippy-slappy fishie tails...

... hey, that's neat. The air that Mirioni breathes out is different from the air he breathes in.

A moment after thinking that you give yourself a mental dope-slap. Of course it's different, that's kind of the point of having lungs.

What you mean is that it feels different, spiritually. You don't know what it is, but the notes stray from the normal expression of the give-and-take of breathing in and out; it's like the relationship between his respiratory system and the rest of the Wind in the world has its own theme song. It's hard to make out the melody itself, since from the sound of things Meiryoku's breath has one of her own, and so does Momiji's, and so does-

"Well. A Yamanaka, even."

Concentration broken, you turn to Sukaha, who has lost interest in the fight in favour of studying you, apparently. She nods, though it's hard to tell if she's approving or just confirming something to herself. "That's nice to know; their standards have always been among the more stringent in the shinobi world."

[X] "Um... thank you?"

[X] "I wish you'd tell my team that; Ami thinks my parents have spoiled me rotten." : P

[X] "Glad to know you think Nabiki-chan's dowry is in good hands."

 

[Selias]

[X] "I wish you'd tell my team that; Ami thinks my parents have spoiled me rotten." : P

 

[Guile]

[X] Yeah, I'm pretty great. Do you guys take, whaddaya call 'em, challenges here? Taijutsu isn't really my thing but Ami and Kiba are pretty good.

Alternately:
[X] Thanks! Do you guys do a lot of Breath Control here?

 

[Scia]

[X] "I wish you'd tell my team that; Ami thinks my parents have spoiled me rotten." : P

 

[Malcolmo]

[X] "I wish you'd tell my team that; Ami thinks my parents have spoiled me rotten." : P

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] Sugar in my coffee, oh yeah, makes me mean

You grin. "I wish you'd tell my team that; Ami thinks my parents have spoiled me rotten."

A student carrying two mugs of coffee on a tray emerges from the door and sets the beverages on the table. Sukaha nods in thanks, then asks you, "What are you drinking, kid?"

The student stares at you like just appeared out of thin air; even Momiji's eyes flick away from the fight for a moment.

You blink. "Fruit juice, if you've got it. Thanks."

"No trouble," Sukaha says. "Anything else? Toast? Smokes? Some salmon for your friend, there?" Menka mews.

[X] Holy shit she just said the magic word.

[X] Sweet nicotine Oh, this could not possibly be more of a trap.

 

[Disminded]

[X] Sweet nicotine Oh, this could not possibly be more of a trap.

 

[Guile]

[X] Hey, if she's offering... Try to imply they're for Asuma or something.
Or imply Asuma's starting us early, it'd be fodder to mess with him later.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

If it's a trap, it's probably a trap for both choices.

Is taking the smokes and then just doing nothing with them an option, saving them for later, or just to screw with Asuma's assessment?

Granted, you'll probably only let us get one over Asuma when you think it's time, or that we earned it, but still.

 

[Selias]

[X] Holy shit she just said the magic word.

 

[Undead frog]

[X] Sweet nicotine Oh, this could not possibly be more of a trap.

 

[Redon]

[X] Sweet nicotine Oh, this could not possibly be more of a trap.

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] Wow, Admiral Ackbar! Wow, Admiral Ackbar Cereal! ;D

A nervous giggle escapes you. "N-no, just the juice is fine," you force yourself to say.

"You sure?" Sukaha asks, smirking. "You look like you haven't had a snout in years."

Wait, what? "I've never had one," you say, frowning in confusion. "I'm only thirteen."

"Of course." She gestures at the student with the tray. "We're gonna need some juice, here, when you get a chance."

The student finally snaps out of it and heads back inside.

"So," she says when he's gone, "to answer the questions that're most likely on your mind in order from most relevant to least: no, I won't tell you how Mirioni's doing what he's doing, and neither will he, yes, I can tell you how Turtle-style works, no, I don't have any plans to hold you for ransom, and yes, there are people trying to steal little Nabiki's treasure chest." She takes a sip of her coffee, and waits for your jaw to stop hanging open. "Ask a question, get an answer."

[X] You heard the lady.

 

[Scia]

oh she is good...
[X]Have Phantom Withdrawl problems while asking your questions

 

[Redon]

[x] "Can I get some more details beyond 'people trying to steal little Nabiki's treasure chest' that you would share?"

 

[MrGazzer]

[Q] "...Can I have smoke?"

 

[Guile]

[X] You could light a cigarette with that burn. Maybe you should.

 

[FurikoMaru]

Any actual questions aside from Redon's?

 

[Scia]

Sorry I got a blank mind at the moment.

 

[Vindictus]

[Q] "So... You got a number I can get in touch with you at later?"

XD

[X] "You say there are people after Nabiki's treasure. I don't suppose you could tell me who? That'd make things so much easier..."

 

[FurikoMaru]

[X] A blind date

You seriously regret not taking her up on her offer of tobacco.

Licking your lips, trying to regain your composure, you say, "Well... mission business first, I guess. Who exactly is after Nabiki's treasure?"

"Pen and paper?" Sukaha offers.

You shake your head. "I've got a good memory."

"Cherish it," she commands. "You won't know how important it is until after you've lost it."

Who the hell is this chick, anyway? She's obviously a martial artist of some kind, if she's a teacher here, but she doesn't give off an imposing air like Meiryoku (who at the moment is giving Mirioni some kind of pep talk off in the corner); in fact, she doesn't appear to give off any kind of an air at all. Beautiful though she is, you're starting to notice that your eyes slide off of her if you aren't focusing. This may be the school of dead air, but she's like a television test screen while you're waiting for the picture to come back on.

"So," Sukaha begins briskly, "you want to be on the lookout for a blond senior named Sorato. A massage girl next door promised that she'll marry him if he brings her a nice enough piece of jewellery. You can expect him a few hours before dawn tomorrow morning. He's a fuckup, but he's a lucky little fuckup, so don't underestimate him. You hear me?"

"Yes'm," you say meekly.

"Good. He'll be dressed in black, so he should be easy to spot. Also, don't let him touch your bare skin if you can help it."

"Why not?"

"Because things will go badly for you if he does." Somehow she manages to be blunt and vague at the same time.

"If you don't mind my asking," you say, "why don't you just order him not to try anything? He's your student, right?"

Sukaha smiles serenely. "There comes a time in every student's life where they must leave the classroom and encounter reality."

The addendum "Preferably at terminal velocity" is unspoken.

You shift uncomfortably under her gaze. "If you want us to handle him permanently, you'll have to take it up with Asuma-sensei." Tough talk to Nabiki or not, you'd really rather not kill someone on your first C-rank.

"Oh, bless your heart!" Laughing, she pats your hand, a grandmotherly gesture that seems somehow natural for her, oddly enough. "No, that won't be necessary; Sorato just needs a little field experience, that's all."

"Blond, dressed in black, don't let him get up close and personal, got it," you say, nodding in confirmation. "Is there anyone else?"

The redhead shrugs. "There are a few staff members with gambling debts to pay off, but the brat is the only one around here with the right combination of balls, talent and stupidity to think he has a shot at getting away with stealing Hisui's fiancée's property. He might have a couple other students as backup, but he's the one who'll give you trouble."

"... why are you telling me all this?" you ask.

Sukaha leans back in her chair, and smirks. "They're so precious when they don't know yet," she says to the air in general.

To you, she says, "I tell you this because it will be funnier if you defeat him than if someone else does." She winks at you. "And because you haven't had a proper challenge in years. Don't want you going soft."

All at once, before you can ask why the hell a strange woman who never met you before today should care about whether or not you 'go soft', Meiryoku comes over to drink her coffee, the student waiter arrives with your fruit juice, and Momiji and Mirioni materialize on either side of you, the latter eagerly asking what you thought of his fight.

"Miyamoto," Meiryoku says, "perhaps our guest would be interested in the Tournament Hall."

And that, apparently, is that. The last you see of Sukaha is a toast she raises as you and the boys round the corner into the main courtyard.

=

After about twenty minutes looking over the portraits of various winners of title matches, intercepting weird looks passing between Momiji and Menka, and politely listening to Mirioni tell anecdotes about the history of the school (which isn't all that hard, as it's actually kind of interesting), a lull in the conversation prompts you to ask a question that's been on your mind.

[X] "So how does Sukaha-san fit into all this? Where did she come from? Is she single?" How do you know you can trust her?

[X] "How do the mechanics of Turtle-style actually work?" Even if they lie about it, it should give you something to go on.

[X] "What's the story with Sorato? Is there anything else I should know about the guy?" No point in asking in front of Mirioni; get him to take your glass back to the kitchen for you and ask Momiji.

 

[Scia]

[X] "So how does Sukaha-san fit into all this? Where did she come from? Is she single?" How do you know you can trust her?

 

[Redon]

[X] "So how does Sukaha-san fit into all this? Where did she come from? Is she single?" How do you know you can trust her?

A little annoyed at how this board doesn't keep track of the formatting on copy paste.